Sonbhadra Massacre Accused an SP Member, Claims CM Yogi; Party Blames Him for Evading Responsibility

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday held the SP and BSP responsible for the killings in Sonbhadra in which 10 people lost their lives last week.

During his visit to the Umbha village in the district, Adityanath claimed that the village chief, who is the main accused in the case, was an active member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), while his brother worked for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

“The main accused, village head Yagya Dutt, was a member of the Samajwadi Party and his brother worked for the BSP. Both have been arrested. The incident is an outcome of political conspiracy and gunda-gardi. People shedding ‘crocodile-tears’ should apologise to the tribal community as the issue was started during their tenure and it claimed 10 lives,” the Uttar Pradesh CM said.

He also increased the compensation amount for the families of the deceased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 18.5 lakh, and for the injured from Rs 50,000 to 2.5 lakh, respectively. Adityanath also promised houses for the SC/ST communities of Sonbhadra, along with a police post, anganwadi centre and a fire tender centre for the villages affected by the incident.

However, the SP accused the UP chief minister of “hiding his own failures” by pinning the blame on the party and claimed that the accused had no connection with it.

“CM Yogi Adiyanath is trying to hide his own failures by giving such false statements. The main accused has nothing to do with the Samajwadi Party. The CM is unable to run the government and that is why now he is shrugging off his responsibility,” said senior SP leader and spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra welcomed Adityanath’s decision of visiting the affected village in Sonbhadra and said that “it is his duty to stand with the victims, good to see that he has realised his duty”.

“Umbha village awaited justice, hope the victims will now get justice and their five demands will be met,” she added.

Priyanka Gandhi 24-hour stand-off with the Mirzapur administration and was taken into preventive custody on Friday when she was on her way to Sonbhadra to meet the victims’ families. She was kept at the Chunar fort Guest House overnight. The administration had to finally bow to the demand of the Congress leader and families were finally allowed to meet her at the Chunar Guest House.